Los Angeles is beginning two pilot programs using a Japanese designed and produced flexible water pipe. The pipes have already withstood major earthquakes in Japan without so much as a leak, unlike the devastating and costly damage inflicted to L.A. pipes after the Northridge Earthquake.
The flexible pipes, produced by Kibota Corporation based in Osaka, Japan, uses a new flexible pipe and interlocking ductile joint to prevent leaks or breakage during tremors. Los Angeles has about 7,000 miles of traditional iron piping.
The technology – a rare term used when describing water pipes – comes at a premium. Because the pipes are manufactured in Japan and shipped, they cost about three times more than the average pipe. But should the pilot prove successful, the company hopes to find a site in the United States to begin manufacturing.
Read the full article at the Los Angeles Daily News.